Patentable/Patents/US-8588037
US-8588037

Magnetic disk device, magnetic disk evaluation apparatus, and magnetic head

PublishedNovember 19, 2013
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

A magnetic disk device of an embodiment includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic head, a laser-beam-intensity control unit, a reproduced-signal detecting unit, and a magnetic-disk evaluating unit. The magnetic head reads a signal recorded in the magnetic disk, or performs magnetic recording while irradiating a laser beam onto the magnetic disk. The laser-beam-intensity control unit controls the intensity of the laser beam. The reproduced-signal detecting unit detects the signal read by the magnetic head. The magnetic-disk evaluating unit evaluates the signal read from the magnetic head, on the basis of a relation between a noise level detected from the signal read by the magnetic head, and the intensity of the laser beam.

Patent Claims
12 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A magnetic disk device comprising: a magnetic disk; a magnetic head that reads a signal recorded in the magnetic disk or performs magnetic recording while irradiating a laser beam onto the magnetic disk; a laser-beam-intensity control unit that controls the intensity of the laser beam; a reproduced-signal detecting unit that detects the signal read by the magnetic head; and a magnetic-disk evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the signal read by the magnetic head, on the basis of a relation between a noise level detected from the signal read by the magnetic head, and the intensity of the laser beam.

2

2. The magnetic disk device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic-disk evaluation unit comprises a noise calculating unit that calculates the noise level on the basis of the signal read by the magnetic head, a data storage unit that stores the noise level calculated by the noise calculating unit, a data computing unit that computes a noise distribution relative to the intensity of the laser beam, on the basis of the noise level stored in the data storage unit, a signal-quality determining unit that determines the quality of the signal read from the magnetic head, on the basis of the noise distribution, and a quality-evaluation control unit that changes the intensity of the laser beam on the basis of the noise level.

3

3. The magnetic disk device according to claim 2 , wherein the noise distribution is computed in units of sectors of the magnetic disk, and the quality of the signal is determined in the units of sectors.

4

4. The magnetic disk device according to claim 3 , further comprising: a defect registering unit that performs defect registration in the units of sectors on the basis of a result of the determination on the quality of the signal.

5

5. The magnetic disk device according to claim 3 , further comprising: a memory that stores the intensity of the laser beam in the magnetic recording in the units of sectors.

6

6. The magnetic disk device according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic head comprises a laser irradiating unit that irradiates the laser beam onto the magnetic disk, a read element that reads the signal recorded in the magnetic disk, and a magnetic pole for writing that performs magnetic recording on a laser-beam irradiation region on the magnetic disk.

7

7. A magnetic disk device comprising: a magnetic disk; a magnetic head that reads a signal recorded in the magnetic disk or performs magnetic recording while irradiating a laser beam onto the magnetic disk; a write-current control unit that controls a write current in the magnetic recording; a reproduced-signal detecting unit that detects the signal read by the magnetic head; a magnetic-disk evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the signal read by the magnetic head, on the basis of a relation between a noise level detected from the signal read by the magnetic head, and the current value of the write current.

8

8. The magnetic disk device according to claim 7 , wherein the magnetic-disk evaluation unit comprises a noise calculating unit that calculates the noise level on the basis of the signal read by the magnetic head, a data storage unit that stores the noise level calculated by the noise calculating unit, a data computing unit that computes a noise distribution relative to the current value of the write current, on the basis of the noise level stored in the data storage unit, a signal-quality determining unit that determines the quality of the signal read from the magnetic head, on the basis of the noise distribution, and a quality-evaluation control unit that changes the current value of the write current on the basis of the noise level.

9

9. The magnetic disk device according to claim 8 , further comprising: a defect registering unit that performs defect registration in the units of sectors on the basis of a result of the determination on the quality of the signal.

10

10. The magnetic disk device according to claim 9 , further comprising: a memory that stores the intensity of the laser beam in the magnetic recording in the units of sectors.

11

11. The magnetic disk device according to claim 9 , further comprising: a memory that stores the current value of the write current in the magnetic recording in the units of sectors.

12

12. The magnetic disk device according to claim 7 , wherein the magnetic head comprises a laser irradiating unit that irradiates the laser beam onto the magnetic disk, a read element that reads the signal recorded in the magnetic disk, and a magnetic pole for writing that performs magnetic recording on a laser-beam irradiation region on the magnetic disk.

Classification Codes (CPC)

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

March 13, 2012

Publication Date

November 19, 2013

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